Easel-back.



S. J. VENABLE.

EASEL BACK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16. 1917.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

SAMUEL J. VENAIBLE, 0F CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND.

EASEL-BACK.

Application filed April 16, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. VENABLE, a citizen of the United States. residing at Chevy Chase, county of Montgomery, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Easel-Backs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an easel back.

The primary object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character which is provided with a hinge, by means of which the back may be attached to the body portion of the easel, which hinge is so constructed that the back may be swung to its operative position repeatedly without becomingbroken at its hinge.

This object is attained, broadly, by providing the body portion of the back with a flexible element, such as a sheet of textile fabric, which envelops the end of the body portion and is attached thereto. In one form of the device which I have illustrated. this enveloping sheet of material forms a hinge and a reinforcement for the sections of the body portion of the back, while in the other form illustrated, the fabric element forms a reinforced hinge.

In the drawing Figure l is an elevational view, partly broken away, of one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the hinge portion of the back; 7

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the portion shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail looking at the opposite side to that disclosed in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the device;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the same;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental elevation;

gig. 9 is a vertical section therethrough; an

Fig. 10 is an elevation looking at the opposite side to that disclosed in Fig. 8.

Beferrmg to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawing, I have illustrated an easel which is of the usual form and which includes a body portion 1. The easel back 2 is formed of a suitable relatively stifi" material and tapers from one end to the other.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Serial No. 162,461.

Adjacent to the small end of the back, a transversely-extending groove 3 is provided, which, in effect, divides the back into two sections, one of which is adapted to be secured to the body portion 1 of the easel by suitable fasteners a, or any equivalent means. It is, of course, to be understood in this connection that this easel back may be secured by a suitable adhesive.

Enveloping the small end of the easel back 2 is a sheet of flexible material 5, such as textile fabric or the like. This material is, as illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, folded about the small end of the back 2, and the contacting surfaces of the element and of the easel back are secured together, preferably by an adhesive. The back may be covered with a suitable covering material to correspond with the finish of the body portion 1 of the easel.

Of course, in this form of the device, the

transverse groove 3 will permit the sections of the back to have relative movement, so that the lower portion of the back may be swung away from the body portion 1 of the easel into its supporting position. The fabric material 5 envelops this end of the back and bridges the transverse groove 8, so that it forms an effective hinge, and because of the fact that it envelops the end of the back, considerable reinforcement is obtained.

In the form of the device illustrated in Figs. 5 to 10, inclusive, the back 2 is adapted to be secured to the body portion 1 of the easel to support the latter. The back illustrated in these figures of the drawing is tapered in a manner similar to the previously described form. The small end of the back 2 is enveloped by a sheet of flexible material 3' of textile fabric or the like, which material is attached to the back by an adhesive which joins the contacting surfaces of the back and the material together. This fabric element extends beyond the end of the back 2 and is folded, as illustrated in Fig. 10. This extended end of the fabric element is adapted to project through a slot L in the body portion 1 of the easel and. to be attached to the opposite face of the latter. This folded-over portion of the fabric clcment 3 forms a reinforced hinge, so that the back may be swung repeatedly to and away from the body portion 1', without becoming broken at its hinge.

The movement of the back away from the body portion of the easel is limited by an element 6, such as a piece of tape, which passes through the body portion 1 and the back 2' and is suitably attached thereto. V hen the back is swung toward the body portion of the easel and is in its inoperative position, it Will lie in a. recess 5 in the latter.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided an easel back and a hinge therefor which are so constructed that considerable reinforcement will beobtained, so that the breaking of the back at its hinge, and the consequent rendering of the same useless, is effectively obviated.

What I claim is 1. An easel back comprising a body portion and a hinge therefor which consists of a flexible element enveloping the edges of one end of the body portion and a cement attaching said flexible element to the body portion.

2. An easel back comprising a body por tion and a hinge therefor which consists of a fabric element attached to one end of the body portion and enveloping a side edge of the same.

V tached thereto.

t. An easel back comprising a body portion having atransverse groove therein, and a hinge consisting of a fabric element enveloping and attached to the body portion on both sides of the groove.

5. ran easel back comprising a body portion and a hinge, said hinge consisting of a fabric element enveloping one end of the body portion, attached thereto and having a reinforced portion extending beyond the body portion.

6. An easel back comprisinga body portion and a flexible hinge consisting of an element which envelops the edges of the body portion and means for attaching the same thereto. In testimon T whereof I a tlix 1n si nature.

7 SAMUEL J. 'VENABLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). G. 

